The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-07-20
, M. T., WEDNESDAY JULY 20, 1887

AS the same members constituting tht
regular session Of last winter will com
prise those Of the extra session, II 10 pre-
sumed that after deliberations they hav,
changed their conclusions upon certain
points and that material change will b.
made in our present laws and some new
and important ones will be enacted. Am
pie time is given our representatives t
prepare neS bills. TO consider which
laws should be repealed, or which modi
fled.
MINEn. -.
Governor Leslie sees fit in the fdllnee,
Of his executive authority and the wise
discretion that has marked his admins.
tration Of the affairs Of the Territory
with which he il not familiar to call an
extraordinary session Of the Montana
Legislature. And why? Simply be-
cause that Legislature passed certain
laws which are lantagonistic to the Terri.
torial interest. Assuming that the laws
adopted at the last session in the matter
Of the revenues md the ground squirrel
county bill be in their practical opera.
tion burden upon the Territory, what
may we expect of the same statesmen
that passed these laws II called together
in extra session? Nothing but that they
will further complicats the situation.
Why should any sensible man call to-
gether body of men whose only record
in the first instance was a series of blum
ders? We confess that we cannot see
anything in the way ofa wise discreation
on the part Of the Territorial Execu.
tive in calling an extra session Of the
self-same Legislators who made the bare
ia led blunders that characterized their
last assemblage. They there and then
clearly proved their utter and absolute
inability to legislate for an intelligent
people like the citizens of Montana, Then
why call them together for second time
to further complicate the situation in
which they have involved the Territory.
We can but think that the Chief Execu-
tive, by the grace Of Grover Cleveland,
is inviting further statutory complication
by calling together the same aggregation
Of blunderers as rendered the question
of an extra even debatable one. If we
are to have any further legislation with
in the biennial term, why not have
special election and thus. with the cleo.
tors awakened to the importance of the
issues involved, secure a Legislature
which shall seize upon the situation and
act In the popular interest. We feel sure
that had Governor Hauser had this issue
to determine, he would have made no
such mistake. He is q Montanian and
cold was the day when he resigned,
thinking that Montanian would be
chosen for the succession. We can but
say that tins special session Of the self
same Legislature that made all Of these
mistakes is ill-advlsed and could not have
happened had We not had an aline Ex-
ecutive, who while he means we'll, is SUI.
fering and n aking the Territory suffer
an error Of his judgment.
YELLOWSTONE JOURNAL:
Elsewhere we give the text Of the pro-
clamation issued by Gov. Leslie concern
ing the legislature Of Montana to meet
at the capitol on the 10th of August next
there to deliberate on the matters Gel
forth in the proclamation. While the
revenue bill introduced by Clusters
councilman, J. ]. Thompson. is given
precedence in the proclamation. it is not
believed that it will require much II any
amendation, the real bone Of contention
being the outrageous bounty law, where
by the territorial treasury has been
drained almost dry, mainly by the citi
zens Of Gallatin county engaged in the
thrifty pursuit Of ground squirrels and
gophers.
NEW NORTHWEST.
Governor Leslie has proclaimed an ex.
ira session of the Legislature of Montans
to convene in Helena Monday, August
Goth, 1887.
II twere done,
Then 'twere well done if'twere done quickly
1t Is hard for US to bring the consent
Of our judgement to re-assembling Of
the Fifteenth Legislative Assembly
While composed generally of men ofcap.
ability, it made the largest number Of the
poorest or worst laws of any that has a..
sembled in Montana. In it's reaching
after the infinite and diving for the un.
fathomable;" in its effort to injuct tran.
scendental morality by the Legislative
syringe into the arterial system of the
territory; in the devotion of its time to
schemes for disturbing public institutions
that are better probably, than what i,
would have succeeded them with, the
18th Regular Session squandered its time
and talent and left on file for statute
book vet to be published set of am
biguous, conflicting and extravaQent law
the moral purposes Of which have al
ready been defeated in the courts, Will,
one, it is alleged. makes ruinous draiI
one the treasury, another stops the col
lection Of revenue, and several other
are Of mystical uncertainty or deemed
unwholesnme. While carelessness was
evident. the greatest trouble was that In
stead Of directing all its energies to tn,
formulation and perfection of new law
Of material benefit and amending de
fects in the old. it squandered its tim,
and scattered its talent on too many bill
and schemes, and we have been largel,
indisposed to see it reassembled becaus
its disposition to this course in the re
gular session indicates a like course il
an extra session, and that instead of cor
fining itself to correction Of its error
and enabling and early publication o
amended statutes it will repeat the his
tory of last winter.
The extra session has, however; beel
called, the Governor having procure'
the PreRident's approval of the cal
There Ia yet lacking the appropriatio
which the U. S. law requires shall hav
been made prior to the assembling Of tn
Legislature. But IL the secretary ca
see financial way through this CON
plication the legislation will not likel,
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